University Archives

As part of Special Collections, the University Archives strives to preserve those documents of historical significance that reflect the University’s origins and development, in addition to the achievements of its officers, faculty, staff , students, and alumni. These materials shed light on student life and on the academic experience at UTA.

The history of the University of Texas at Arlington dates from 1895 when Arlington College, was founded as a private institution. The school would go through seven name changes before becoming the University of Texas at Arlington. In 1902 Arlington College became Carlisle Military Academy, followed by Arlington training School in 1913, and Arlington Military Academy in 1916. By 1917, the school was known as Grubbs Vocational School. In 1923, the name changed to North Texas Agricultural College until 1949 when it became Arlington State College. In 1967, the school joined the University of Texas System and acquired its present name. The University Archives document this long history.

Material retained by the University Archives includes correspondence, memoranda, financial and statistical reports, budgets, files from the offices of the president and of the provost/vice president for academic affairs, minutes of various campus committees and student groups and of The University of Texas System Board of Regents, photographs and negatives, proposals, scrapbooks, theses and dissertations, and artifacts. Printed materials, such as newspapers and newsletters, yearbooks, university catalogs, and other university publications, are also collected. In addition, the University Archives maintains an extensive collection of oral history interviews, primarily with faculty and administrators of the school.